Round 1 Feature Match: Jeff Jones Versus Branden Bustamantez

March 22nd, 2014

We’re kicking off Round 1 here at YCS Chicago with what may be one of the most ridiculously out-there and innovative decks of the weekend! A cooperative effort between two YCS winners – Champion Robert Boyajian and two-time Champion Jeff Jones – it’s a Ghostrick deck with a twisted piece of tech: triple Rank-Up-MagicAstral Force!

Jones’ opponent this round is Chicago Duelist Branden Bustamentez, also packing an off-the-wall strategy! Bustamentez is playing a Laval Rekindling deck with triple Pot of Dichotomy, aiming to stack Cardcar D effects and Pot of Duality to make repeated combo turns. Will it work? We’re about to find out!

Jones opened Day 1 with a hand of Call of the Haunted; Dark Hole; SolemnWarning; Tour Guide from the Underworld; Ghostrick Spectre; and GhostrickJiangshi. He Set Call and Warning, then Set Jiangshi – a promising set-up that could let him abuse Jiangshi’s effect early.

Bustamentez activated Molten Conduction Field! “Ooh! This is a terrible matchup for me,” remarked Jones, as Bustamentez sent Laval Volcano Handmaiden and Laval Magma Cannoneer to his Graveyard: that let Bustamentez send another Handmaiden, then another Cannoneer to his Graveyard. “Well, I know one card in your hand,” quipped Jones, reading a third Handmaiden. (Jones knew that if Bustamentez had his third Haindmaiden in his Deck, he would’ve sent it to his Graveyard.) A second Conduction Field loaded Bustamentez up with two LavalLakeside Lady, threatening Jones’ Set cards. Bustamentez Summoned Cardcar D, then Tributed it to draw two.

He Synchro Summoned T.G. Hyper Librarian, then Lavalval Dragon to draw a card with the Librarian’s effect. He activated the Dragon’s ability to bounce away Jones’ face-down Ghostrick Jiangshi, then attacked with Handmaiden: Jones dropped Ghostrick Mary to Special Summon another Jiangshi. Dragon attacked it, and Jones searched another Mary from his Deck for Jiangshi’s effect. He then Special Summoned Ghostrick Spectre to draw Crane Crane. Librarian ran over the Spectre. In Main Phase 2, Bustamentez Synchro Summoned Star Eater, and activated a third Molten Conduction Field to send Cannoneer and Handmaiden back to his Graveyard. He had two cards left in hand with Star Eater on the field.

Jones drew Bottomless Trap Hole and destroyed Star Eater with Dark Hole. He Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld to Special Summon another from his Deck, then attacked with both for a quick 2000 damage. The Duel stood at 7900 Life Points to 5600, with Jones leading. He overlaid the Tour Guides in Main Phase 2 for Ghostric Alucard, then Set Bottomless.

Bustamentez activated Pot of Dichotomy! He returned Hyper Librarian, Cardcar D, and Lavalval Dragon to his Deck to draw two cards, going to four in hand.

Bustamentez’s expression was unreadable, but he activated Pot of Duality next, adding Cardcar D to his hand! Upstart Goblin got him another draw to put Jones at 8900 Life Points, and Bustamentez Summoned Cardcar D to draw two more cards. He ended with a blank field and five cards in hand.

Jones drew Mystical Space Typhoon, putting him at four cards in hand with Bottomless Trap Hole Set and Alucard on field. He attacked, dropping Bustamentez to 3800 Life Points. He Set Jiangshi and Typhoon.

Bustamentez wiped the field with Dark Hole, triggering Alucard’s effect and returning Ghostrick Specter to Jones’ hand. Bustamentez activated another Rekindling! He Special Summoned two Cannonneers and three Handmaidens: Jones blasted the Cannoneers with Bottomless Trap Hole! Bustamentez Normal Summoned Battle Fader, Tuning for Formula Synchron to draw a card. He banished Handmaiden and Star Eater to Special Summon Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos, Tuning it to Handmaiden for Stardust Dragon, then Tuning that to Formula Synchron to unleash Shooting Star Dragon!

Jones drew Dust Tornado, then Flip Summoned Jiangshi to search out another Ghostrick Specter. Jones flipped it face-down, then Set Dust.

Bustamentez activated another Pot of Dichotomy! He shuffled back FormulaSynchron, StardustDragon, and BattleFader to draw two cards, going to six cards in hand! Another Duality got him Mystical Space Typhoon over Upstart Goblin and One Day of Peace, and another Upstart got him another draw. Bustamentez destroyed Jones’ Mystical Space Typhoon with one of his own, and then had another Cardcar D for another two draws!

Bustamentez drew to seven cards with Shooting Star Dragon on the field. He Set two cards to his backrow and swung into Jiangshi: Jones got another Mary with Jiangshi’s effect, then Special Summoned Ghostrick Specter to draw Call of the Haunted.

Jones drew another Dust Tornado and gave a short sigh, musing over his options. He’d gone through a ton of deck thinning, but still hadn’t mustered enough offense to finish out the duel, nor get rid of that Shooting Star. He Summoned GhostrickMary to overlay for Ghostrick Dullahan; Bustamentez took a moment to read it. Jones Set two cards to his backrow and ended.

Bustamentez flipped his Set Upstart Goblin, putting Jones to 7600 Life Points: he had 3800 left himself. Bustamentez Summoned Laval Cannon; Special Summoned Laval Magma Cannoneer from his ‘removed zone’; then overlaid them both to Xyz Summon Evilswarm Exciton Knight! He had six cards in hand and three on the field, to Jones’ four in hand and four on the field. Bustamentez activated One Day of Peace, then Mystical Space Typhoon’d his own Set card, trying to get down low enough to activate Exciton Knight’s effect! He destroyed his own Duality, and when he activated EvilswarmExciton Knight’s effect, Jones chained Call of the Haunted to bring back Alucard; the field was wiped, and Jones made a Chain of Dullahan’s effect, Alucard’s effect, and his in-hand Ghostrick Specter’s ability. Dullahan got him back his Specter while Alucard retrieved Ghostrick Mary. Ghostrick Specter drew him into Rank-Up-Magic Astral Force!

Bustamentez activated Evilswarm Exciton Knight’s effect a second time! That destroyed Specter, and Jones Special Summoned another one, this time drawing Tour Guide from the Underworld! Bustamentez ended with five cards in hand.

Jones Normal Summoned Crane Crane, Special Summoning Jiangshi to overlay for Ghostrick Alucard. He played Rank-Up-Magic Astral Force, overlaying Alucard with Crimson Knight Vampire Bram! He detached for its effect, Special Summoning Shooting Star Dragon! The Dragon attacked, destroying Exciton Knight but dealing no damage due to One Day of Peace.

Bustamentez drew to six cards in hand, and spent some time looking through his banished cards to try and figure out a play. He eventually settled on Normal Summoning Laval Cannon for Laval Magma Cannoneer, then overlaid for Daigusto Emeral to shuffle back Evilswarm Exciton Knight, Cardcar D, and a Laval Cannon. “Decks are getting pretty slim…” remarked Jones, as Bustamentez drew. Jones’ deck count didn’t matter: he could keep recycling his Rank-Up-Magic in place of his draw, something Jones was completely aware of. Bustamentez activated Rekindling, Special Summoning two Cannoneers and a Handmaiden to Synchro Summoning Mist Wurm! It bounced all of Jones’ monsters, sending Alucard to the Graveyard to get Jones back his Ghostrick Specter.

Jones Tributed Specter for Caius the Shadow Monarch, banishing Mist Wurm and running over Emeral! He Set two cards to his back row.

Bustamentez activated another Pot of Dichotomy! He shuffled back Emeral, Cannon, and Cardcar D to draw two, then ended with an open field.

Jones drew The Beginning of the End! “This was all I wanted to do!” He laughed, then activated it, banishing two Ghostrick Mary, two Tour Guide from theUnderworld, and a Jiangshi to draw three cards! He went to eight cards in hand!

He Summoned Crane Crane to bring back Jiangshi, then overlaid to Summon Ghostrick Alucard again. He attacked, and Bustamentez dropped Battle Fader! Bustamentez had six cards left in deck to Jones’ eight, and with Rank-Up-Magic to replace his Draw Phase Jones fearlessly activated Allure ofDarkness to draw two more and banish his last Tour Guide. “Go ahead.”

Bustamentez drew to five cards left in deck and passed.

“Instead of drawing, I’ll activate the effect of Rank-Up-Magic Astral Force to add it to my hand.” Jones activated it, overlaying Alucard with Vampire Bram! Bustamentez lost his on-field Battle Fader, but had another to fend off Jones’ attacks. Jones Set a monster.

Bustamentez passed again! Jones Flip Summoned Ghostrick Mary to attack Battle Fader, and Bustamentez had a third Fader to keep the defense going! Jones Normal Summoned Specter to overlay it with Mary for Ghostrick Dullahan, then overlaid that with Downerd Magician. He used Vampire Bram’s effect to Special Summon Bustamentez’s Laval Magma Cannoneer!

Bustamentez passed, and Jones attacked with Downerd Magician to pierce through Battle Fader, but Bustamentez had Swift Scarecrow to stay in the Duel! He had 1100 Life Points left. Jones Set another Spell or rap, then Vampire Bram’d Bustamentez’s second Cannoneer!

Bustamentez was down to three cards in deck, drew one of them, and when he tried to Normal Summon Laval Cannoneer and activate its effect, Jones ended the game with Fiendish Chain! Bustamentez conceded and with scant minutes left in the Match, both competitors went into Side Decking.

Jeff Jones repels Branden Bustamentez’s fiery aggression in the early game, and a back-and-forth Duel of parries and thrusts sees Jones eventually capture the win, thanks to a flurry of Xyz Summons and Rank-Up-Magic Astral Force! Five minutes remained in the Match

Bustamentez drew a card with Upstart Goblin to kick off Game 2, then Set a monster, and Set a Spell or Trap.

Jones had a hand of Tour Guide from the Underworld; Crane Crane; GhostrickSpecter; Debunk; Call of the Haunted; and Bottomless Trap Hole. He Summoned Tour Guide to Special Summon another Tour Guide from his Deck, then overlaid for Ghostrick Alucard: Bustamentez responded with Mistake, leaving Jones to destroy Bustamentez’s Set Laval Magma Cannoneer with Alucard’s ability. Alucard made a direct shot for 1800 Battle Damage and Jones Set three cards to his backrow.

Bustamentez Set a monster and a spell or trap.

Jones tried to pop Bustamentez’s Set backrow card with Alucard, revealing another Mistake. He Summoned Crane Crane to make another Alucard, and when it destroyed Bustamentez’s Set Laval Volcano Handmaiden, he negated its effect and banished it with Debunk! Both Alucards attacked to drop Bustamentez to 2600 Life Points, and Jones finished his turn by overlaying one Alucard with DownerdMagician, and Setting another Spell or Trap.

Bustamentez needed to pull this one out of the fire. He Summoned Laval Cannon, Special Summoning Handmaiden but losing his Cannon to Bottomless Trap Hole! He Set one card to his backrow.

Jones targeted Bustamentez’s Set Mystical Space Typhoon with Alucard’s ability, losing his Solemn Warning when his opponent Chained the Typhoon. Downerd Magician attacked to pierce through Handmaiden and Alucard attacked to finish the Match, just before time was called!

A stellar Game 1 for both Duelists where everybody pulled out all the stops, gives way to a Game 2 stomping for Ghostricks. Jeff Jones takes his first Match win of the day with the spectacular REDRUM Control!